Earlier today, May 14, reports surfaced that Meghan Markle's father, Thomas Markle, will not attend his daughter's royal wedding to Prince Harry on May 19. And now, Kensington Palace has spoken out about the headline-making news.

“This is a deeply personal moment for Ms. Markle in the days before her wedding,” a Kensington Palace spokesman said in a statement on Monday, May 14, per Us Weekly. “She and Prince Harry ask again for understanding and respect to be extended to Mr. Markle in this difficult situation.”

The statement didn't clarify whether or not Thomas Markle will still be attending, but this comes after he was accused of staging paparazzi photos of himself "getting ready" for the big event—doing things like getting a suit tailored and reading a book on British landmarks. The photos didn't attract much scrutiny until the Daily Mail published security video footage that appears to show Thomas, 73, teaming up with paparazzo Jeff Rayner to allegedly stage them.

Markle's father was supposed to walk her down the aisle, but it's now unclear who will. To make matters even more dramatic, a large portion of Markle's family who were reportedly not invited to the festivities showed up in London this week.